What funded Childcare am I eligible for?

15 hours funded childcare

All parents of 3 and 4 year-olds are entitled to 15 hours funded childcare. If your child is 2 years old and you receive certain benefits,  you have a child with Special Educational Needs (SEND), or have a child who receives Disability Living Allowance, or if a child is looked after by local authority you may be eligible for 15 hours funded childcare.

30 hours funded childcare

For working parents with 3 and 4year-olds, you may be able to get 30 hours funded childcare depending on eligibility. Eligibility criteria includes work requirements, salary, age of children, and location. For more information, visit the Childcare Choices website.

Tax Free Childcare 

Tax free childcare is a government scheme to help working parents with the cost of their childcare. Aimed at families with children aged 0-11 or up to 17 if their child has a disability, the scheme can save families up to £2,000 per child per year or £4,000 for a child with a disability.

 

A more detailed explanation:

Free early education entitlement (FEEE) for 2-Year-Olds

Your 2-year-old can get free early education and childcare if you live in England and get one of the following benefits:

• Income Support
• income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
• income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
• Universal Credit – if you and your partner have a combined income from work of £15,400 or less a year, after tax
• tax credits and you have an income of £16,190 or less a year, before tax
• the guaranteed element of State Pension Credit
• support through part 6 of the Immigration and Asylum Act
• the Working Tax Credit 4-week run on (the payment you get when you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit)

2-year-olds can also get free childcare if they:

• are looked after by a local authority
• have a statement of special education needs (SEN) or an education, health and care (EHC) plan
• get Disability Living Allowance
• have left care under an adoption order, special guardianship order or a child arrangements order

All the information can be found on  Cheshireeast.gov.uk .

Free early education entitlement (FEEE) for 3 and 4 year olds

All children are entitled to a free early education place starting the term after their third birthday.

Relevant dates for commencing:

• Children born in the period 1 January to 31 March: the start of term beginning on or following 1 April after the child’s third birthday;
• Children born in the period 1 April to 31 August: the start of term beginning on or following 1 September after the child’s third birthday;
• Children born in the period 1September to 31 December: the start of term beginning on or following 1 January after the child’s third birthday.

Conditions for free childcare for 3 and 4 year olds

The entitlement is for 15 hours of free early learning care per week over term time (38 weeks a year), a total of 570 hours over the year.

The entitlement may be stretched over the whole year with fewer hours per week for example 11 hours a week over the full year.

30 hours free childcare

All 3 and 4-year-olds in England already get 15 hours a week, or 570 hours a year of free early education. If their parents are living and working in England, 3 and 4-year-olds may be entitled to an additional 15 hours free childcare. An extra 570 hours of free childcare a year, so 1140 hours in total.

The additional 15 hours per week (30 hours in total) are available to working parents of 3 and 4 year olds that meet the following eligibility criteria:

• 30 free hours eligibility
• Top things parents need to know ( PDF, 357KB)

When to apply for 30 hours free childcare

 

All the above information can be found on Cheshireeast.gov.uk

Parents must  complete the parental declaration form  before claiming the free entitlement for 2, 3 and 4 year olds.